Augmenting and updating data using encrypted machine-readable identifiers

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are various embodiments for augmenting and updating content data using encrypted machine-readable identifiers. A client application may be employed to transfer a first amount of data to a reader device using a first machine-readable identifier, where the reader device has access to at least one cryptographic key capable of decrypting the data. If the first amount of data is modified or augmented on the reader device, the client application may capture an image of a second machine-readable identifier generated by the reader device, decode and decrypt the machine-readable identifier to identify a second amount of data, and reconcile differences between the first amount of data and the second amount of data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/127,404, entitled “GENERATING IDENTIFIER WITHENCODED HEALTH INFORMATION,” filed on Mar. 3, 2015, the contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. Thisapplication is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/058,366,entitled “ACCESS CONTROL FOR ENCRYPTED DATA IN MACHINE-READABLEIDENTIFIERS,” filed on Mar. 2, 2016, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

BACKGROUND

Machine-readable identifiers can be employed to format data in a mediumrecognizable by a reader device, such as a barcode or a matrix codescanner. However, any person having a suitable reader can obtain thedata embodied in the machine-readable identifier unless the underlyingdata is encrypted. Managing which devices have access to encrypted datain machine-readable identifiers remains problematic.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to cryptography, machine-readableidentifier technology, data security, and, to a certain degree, computervision.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood withreference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings arenot necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed uponclearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in thedrawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a networked environment for providing accesscontrol to information collected by a client application according tovarious embodiments.

FIG. 2 shows another example of a networked environment for augmentingand updating content data using encrypted machine-readable identifiersaccording to various embodiments.

FIG. 3 shows a data structure used to generate a machine-readableidentifier having portions of data encrypted using multiple keysaccording to various embodiments.

FIG. 4 includes a table that illustrates the capacity of a 40-L versionmatrix code.

FIG. 5 includes a table that illustrates the mode indicator bits for amode of encoding data.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating one example of encrypting andencoding data for use in a machine-readable identifier according tovarious embodiments.

FIGS. 7A-7N show various examples of user interfaces generated by aclient application according to various embodiments.

FIG. 8 is pseudocode that illustrates one example of code used toconfigure a computing device or a client device to generate amachine-readable identifier according to various embodiments.

FIG. 9 shows an example of updating or augmenting data on a clientdevice using a machine-readable identifier generated by another deviceaccording to various embodiments.

FIGS. 10-12 are flowcharts illustrating functionality of a clientapplication executed in a client device according to variousembodiments.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are flowcharts illustrating functionality of a remoteapplication executed in a computing environment according to variousembodiments.

FIGS. 15-17 are schematic block diagrams that provide exampleillustrations of a computing environment, a client device, and a readerdevice employed in the networked environment of FIGS. 1 and 2 accordingto various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to access control for segmented data inmachine-readable identifiers. Machine-readable identifiers, such asbarcodes, matrix codes, or other similar identifiers, can be employed toformat data in a medium recognizable by a reader device, such as abarcode or a matrix code scanner. While machine-readable identifiers canbe used to transfer data from one device to another without the use of awired or wireless network, any person having a suitable reader canobtain the data embodied in the machine-readable identifier unless theunderlying data is encrypted. As the underlying data may be sensitive, auser may want to control which portions of the underlying data iscapable of being read by various devices.

For example, in some embodiments, medical information can be encoded ina machine-readable identifier. People are required at times to producesensitive data that the person may wish to keep private, such asproviding a medical history during a visit to a medical office. Themedical history, as well as other personally identifying information, isgenerally required by chiropractors, holistic medicine providers,veterinarians, urgent or emergency medicine centers, dentists, insurancecompanies, etc. Family members may bear the responsibility of providingsuch information to healthcare providers on behalf of their relatives ifthey are not capable of doing so.

While a person may want to provide his or her general practitioner witha complete medical history, the person may not want to provide thecomplete medical history to another provider, such as a chiropractor ora dentist. Instead, they may wish to limit the data to what is relevantfor the medical care professional. Accordingly, in various embodiments,a single machine-readable identifier may be encoded with data wheredifferent devices are capable of reading different portions of the data.For example, a person may authorize his or her general practitioner toobtain a complete medical history from a matrix code while achiropractor, using the same matrix code, may only be able to obtain asubset of the medical history as authorized by a user.

According to various embodiments, a user may use his or her electronicdevice, such as a smartphone or tablet, to provide medical intakeinformation, as opposed to the standard practice of filling out medicalforms using pen and paper. As medical, personal, and other delicateinformation provided by the user via the electronic device may besensitive, sending the information over a network raises concerns. Forexample, the information could be intercepted using packet sniffingsoftware or rogue access points. Further, databases where theinformation is stored can be hacked. As such, machine-readableidentifiers, such as bar codes or matrix codes, can be used to transferinformation between nearby devices without the use of a network.

Machine-readable identifiers, however, usually rely on open source ortransparent standards making interpretation of data embodied in themachine-readable identifiers susceptible to unauthorized access. Forexample, if medical information was embedded in a matrix code, anycommercially-available matrix code reader may be able to obtain themedical information. While the underlying data can be encrypted, onlydevices having access to a suitable key can decrypt the data. However,sharing a single key among multiple devices deters a person fromproviding a complete amount of information as the person may be awarethat all devices with the key are capable of accessing theirinformation.

Accordingly, in embodiments described herein, access control forsegmented data in machine-readable identifiers may be provided. In oneembodiment, a client application executable on a client device may beconfigured to receive a first cryptographic key associated with a firstdevice profile and a second cryptographic key associated with a seconddevice profile over a network. The client application may facilitate thecollection of input data from a user through an ingestion process whichcan include a series of user interfaces that prompt the user to enter avariety of data. Once received, the client application may segment orotherwise format the input data into at least a first portion of dataand a second portion of data. For example, the first portion of data maybe capable of being interpreted by a reader device for a generalpractitioner while the second portion of data may be capable of beinginterpreted by a reader device for a chiropractor.

The client application may encrypt the first portion of data using thefirst cryptographic key and the second portion of data using the secondcryptographic key. A remote application, referred to herein as a keymanagement application, may execute in a remote computing device, suchas server, and oversee the transmission and receipt of keys capable ofdecrypting the data, as authorized by the user. Alternatively, in otherembodiments, a receiver device may be associated with a key in theremote computing environment. The remote application can provide theclient application with a key for a receiver device, such that theinformation is encrypted for access by the receiver device. Finally, theclient application may generate a machine-readable identifier using thefirst portion of data as encrypted and the second portion of data asencrypted for rendering in a display accessible by the client device.The receiver device can capture one or more images of themachine-readable identifier to access the underlying data usingautomated image analysis and computer vision.

As a non-limiting example, a user of the client application mayassociate his or her general practitioner with a high level of access,where the general practitioner is able to use his or her device toaccess all of the input data provided by the user of the clientapplication. The key management application can send a key to the devicefor the general practitioner as well as to the device for the user.Similarly, the key management application can send a key to the devicefor the chiropractor or other medical provider and to the device for theuser. The client application may encode data authorized for receipt bythe general practitioner using a corresponding key while encoding dataauthorized for receipt by the chiropractor using a different key for thechiropractor. To this end, using a single machine-readable identifier,access control to the underlying data of the machine-readable identifieris provided.

As may be appreciated, a technical problem exists for transferringsensitive data between devices without the use of a network as many waysof intercepting data transmitted over a network exist. Additionally, atechnical problem exists there are many ways that network stored data(data stored on a network device) can be obtained without authorization.Accordingly, the embodiments described herein solve the technicalproblem by presenting ways of transmitting sensitive data betweendevices without the use the network to transmit and receive thesensitive data.

Although this disclosure provides multiple examples in context ofhealthcare data, the embodiments enclosed herein are applicable acrossmany industries. Additionally, this disclosure provides examples incontext of matrix codes and other similar machine-readable identifiers.However, in some embodiments, visual image recognition may be employedto identify data encoded in different forms of images, such as employedin the Clickable Paper™ applications marketed by RICOH®.

In the following discussion, a general description of the system and itscomponents is provided, followed by a discussion of the operation of thesame.

With reference to FIG. 1, shown is a networked environment 100 accordingto various embodiments. The networked environment 100 includes acomputing environment 103, a client device 106, and a reader device 109,which are in data communication with each other via a network 112. Invarious embodiments, the client device 106 and the reader device 109 maynot communicate any information from one device to another over thenetwork 112 beyond cryptographic keys, as will be discussed. The network112 includes, for example, the Internet, intranets, extranets, wide areanetworks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wired networks, wirelessnetworks, or other suitable networks, etc., or any combination of two ormore such networks. For example, such networks may comprise satellitenetworks, cable networks, Ethernet networks, and other types ofnetworks.

The computing environment 103 may comprise, for example, a servercomputer or any other system providing computing capability.Alternatively, the computing environment 103 may employ a plurality ofcomputing devices that may be arranged, for example, in one or moreserver banks, computer banks, or other arrangements. Such computingdevices may be located in a single installation or may be distributedamong many different geographical locations. For example, the computingenvironment 103 may include a plurality of computing devices thattogether may comprise a hosted computing resource, a grid computingresource and/or any other distributed computing arrangement. In somecases, the computing environment 103 may correspond to an elasticcomputing resource where the allotted capacity of processing, network,storage, or other computing-related resources may vary over time.

Various applications and/or other functionality may be executed in thecomputing environment 103 according to various embodiments. Also,various data is stored in a data store 115 that is accessible to thecomputing environment 103. The data store 115 may be representative of aplurality of data stores 115 as can be appreciated. The data stored inthe data store 115, for example, is associated with the operation of thevarious applications and/or functional entities described below.

The components executed on the computing environment 103, for example,may include a key management application 118, a translator service 120,a direct messaging service 122, and other applications, services,processes, systems, engines, or functionality not discussed in detailherein. The key management application 118 may be executed to overseethe transmission and receipt of various cryptographic keys 121 a . . .121 c stored in the data store 115, as will be discussed.

The translator service 120 may be executed to translate user input froma first language, such as Spanish, to a second language, such asEnglish. In some embodiments, the translator service 120 may be used totranslate a question stored in the computing environment 103 for use inan ingestion process from a first language to a second language.

The direct messaging service 122 can be employed to send encrypteddirect messages over the network from a client device 106 to another. Inone embodiment, an application executable on the client device 106encrypts a message generated by a user of the client device 106 andsends the encrypted message to the direct messaging service 122 over thenetwork 112 which then transmits the encrypted message to a recipientclient device 106. In one example, the direct messaging service 122permits a patient to communicate directly with his or her healthprovider. In other embodiments, messages may be passed between clientdevices 106 using a machine-readable identifier, as will be discussed.

In further embodiments, the computing environment 103 can includeapplications or services that provide for cloud-based storage ofencrypted information, such as encrypted health information, although inother embodiments, encrypted information may not be stored in thecomputing environment 103.

The client device 106 is representative of a plurality of client devicesthat may be coupled to the network 112. The client device 106 maycomprise, for example, a processor-based system such as a computersystem. Such a computer system may be embodied in the form of a desktopcomputer, a laptop computer, personal digital assistants, cellulartelephones, smartphones, set-top boxes, music players, web pads, tabletcomputer systems, game consoles, electronic book readers, smartwatches,or other devices with like capability. The client device 106 may includea client device display 124 and the reader device 109 may include areader device display 127. The client device display 124 and the readerdevice display 127 may comprise, for example, one or more devices suchas liquid crystal display (LCD) displays, gas plasma-based flat paneldisplays, organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, electrophoreticink (E ink) displays, LCD projectors, or other types of display devices,etc.

The client device 106 may be configured to execute various applicationssuch as a client application 130 and/or other applications. The clientapplication 130 may be executed in the client device 106, for example,to perform an ingestion process, whereby a series of user interfaces 131a are rendered in the client device display 124 to prompt the user foruser input. In one example, one or more questions are provided to theuser to obtain personal information, medical information, or othersuitable information. The one or more questions may be obtained from thecomputing environment 103 or hardcoded in the client application 130.

The client application 130 may encrypt the user input and generate amachine-readable identifier 133 with the encrypted user input. As may beappreciated, the reader device 109 uses a reader application 136 tointerpret the machine-readable identifier 133 and access the encrypteduser input. Using one or more cryptographic keys 121, the readerapplication 136 can decrypt the encrypted user input for local storageon the reader device 109 or for remote storage.

In some embodiments, the client application 130 and the readerapplication 136 may comprise, for example, a browser, a dedicatedapplication, etc., and the user interface 131 a generated by the clientapplication 130 or the user interface 131 b generated by the readerapplication 136 may comprise a network page, an application screen, etc.The client device 106 may be configured to execute applications beyondthe client application 130 such as, for example, email applications,social networking applications, word processors, spreadsheets, and/orother applications.

The reader device 109 may include a front-facing imaging device 139 or arear-facing imaging device (not shown), such as a camera or other devicecapable of interpreting the machine-readable identifier 133. The readerapplication 136 may be executed in the reader device 109 to capture oneor more images of the machine-readable identifier 133 generated by theclient application 130. Similarly, the client device 106 may compriseone or more imaging devices, such as a front-facing or rear-facingcamera. In various embodiments, the reader application 136 is furtherexecuted to decrypt the encrypted user input obtained from themachine-readable identifier 133 and present the health information inthe reader device display 127.

The reader application 136 may be configured to maintain versions ofdata provided by the user and generate a suitable interface thatfacilitates navigating between particular types of data or differentversions. While the client application 130 may be configured to abstainfrom transmitting medical or other types of information over the network112, in some embodiments, the reader application 136 may communicatedata to a remote or cloud-based service, such as a HIPAA-compliantelectronic health record system. While the client application 130 maynot send health or other types of information over the network 112, thecomputing environment 103 may backup or store versions of themachine-readable identifier 133 in the data store 115. When a userupgrades or replaces his or her client device 106, the machine-readableidentifier 133 can be used to populate data on the new client device106.

The data stored in the data store 115 may include device data 142 aswell as other data as can be appreciated. The device data 142 mayinclude information associated with one or more client devices 106 andreader devices 109. In one example, each reader device 109 may beassociated with a unique cryptographic key 121 where the key managementapplication 118 sends the cryptographic key 121 to the clientapplication 130. The client application 130 can then generate amachine-readable identifier 133 that includes user input data encryptedwith the cryptographic key 121 for the reader device 109. As the readerdevice 109 also maintains a copy of its cryptographic key 121, it isable to decrypt and interpret the user input data.

In another example, each client device 106 may be associated with one ormore cryptographic keys 121 where the key management application 118sends the cryptographic keys 121 to the reader devices 109 at theinstruction of a user of the client application 130. The clientapplication 130 can generate a machine-readable identifier 133 thatincludes user input data encrypted with the one or more cryptographickeys 121. The key management application 118, at the instruction of theuser of the client application 130 for example, can send a cryptographickey 121 to the reader device 109 so that it can decrypt and interpretthe user input data.

The device data 142 may include device identifiers 145 that uniquelyidentify a client device 106 or a reader device 109. The device data 142may further include device profiles 148 which, in turn, may includeaccess levels 152. In some embodiments, a user of the client application130 can associate certain reader devices 109 with particular accesslevels 152. In one example, a person can associate a first reader device109 for his or her general practitioner with a first level of access anda second reader device 109 for his or her dentist with a second level ofaccess. To this end, the user of the client application 130 candesignate which data is accessible by which reader device 109 based onthe level of access. As will be described, the user input can besegmented or partitioned by information available to each reader device109. To this end, the reader application 136 may provide differinglevels of access to the information specified by the user orpredetermined by the computing environment 103.

The cryptographic keys 121 may include a numeric, binary, oralphanumeric string used to encrypt data. In various embodiments, thecryptographic keys 121 may comprise symmetric cryptographic keys 121,asymmetric cryptographic keys 121, or a combination thereof.

With reference to FIG. 2, shown is another example of the networkedenvironment 100 according to various embodiments. In some circumstances,the input data provided by the user of the client application 130 may bemanipulated on the reader device 109 or other device with access to thedecrypted information. For example, a doctor may alter data provided theuser to include up-to-date blood pressure, weight, or other information.The user may wish to store this information on his or her client device106 to maintain a more complete and accurate medical history.

To this end, in some embodiments, the reader application 136 may utilizeits cryptographic key 121 (or other cryptographic key 121 available tothe client device 106) to provide the client device 106 with updated,modified, supplemented, or otherwise manipulated data. The clientapplication 130 can facilitate the capture of one or more images of themachine-readable identifier 133 generated on the reader device 109 andrendered in the reader device display 127.

In various embodiments, the underlying data of the machine-readableidentifier 133 generated by the reader application 136 is encryptedusing a cryptographic key 121 only available to the client device 106and the reader device 109. The client application 130 can decrypt theunderlying data and store the data locally on the client device 106. Ifthe user performs parts of ingestion process, the updated data may beprovide in automatically populated fields in the user interface 131. Byscanning the machine-readable identifier 133 and having suitablecryptographic keys 121 to access the underlying data, the readerapplication 136 may update locally stored data and may interface withother applications, such as scheduling applications, appointmentmanagement applications, medication refill applications, or EHRapplications, to update information associated therewith.

Referring next to FIG. 3, shown is an example of a data structure 300comprising data used to generate an image of the machine-readableidentifier 133 a . . . 133 c. The data structure 300 may include, forexample, an error correction level 303, a character count indicator 306,a mode indicator 309, a payload 312, an error correction 315, and/orother data as may be appreciated.

Matrix codes, also referred to as quick response (QR) codes,traditionally employ Reed-Solomon error correction which is used togenerate error correction codewords (bytes) based on the encoded data. Areader application 136 a . . . 136 b can use these error correctionlevel 303 to determine whether the data was read incorrectly and, if so,correct the errors in the data using the error correction codewords. Formatrix codes, there are four levels of error correction levels 303designated as L, M, Q, and H with error correction capabilities of 7%,15%, 25%, and 30%, respectively.

Matrix codes have different sizes, and a matrix code of a particularsize is referred to as a version. There are forty versions availablealthough additional versions are possible and are included within thescope of the disclosure. For example, version 1 is the smallest versionof a matrix code, and is 21 pixels by 21 pixels in size. Each version is4 pixels larger than the previous version. Version 4 is the largestversion, and is 177 pixels by 177 pixels. The largest version has thehighest capacity of characters, as shown in the table of FIG. 4.

The payload 312 can be encoded according to different modes as set bythe mode indicator 309. The mode indicator 309 may comprise a four-bitstring, as shown in FIG. 5. The encoded data may start with theappropriate mode indicator that states the mode being used for thesubsequent bits. The largest version of matrix code has the highestcapacity of characters, as shown in the table of FIG. 4. The charactercount indicator 306 includes the number of characters that are beingencoded.

To generate the machine-readable identifier 133, the client application130 (or the reader application 136) may access the user input receivedduring the ingestion process and encrypt the data using a cryptographickey 121. In embodiments where the cryptographic key 121 is asymmetric,RSA or other suitable encrypting algorithm may be employed. Inembodiments where the cryptographic key 121 is symmetric, the AdvancedEncryption Standard (AES) or other suitable encrypting algorithm may beemployed. The encrypted user input may be encoded according to the modeindicator 309. For example, assuming the encrypted user input is astring of alphanumeric characters, the mode indicator 309 may be set to0010. Alphanumeric encoding may include breaking up a string into pairsand creating a binary number for each pair.

The data intended for a first reader device 109 a may be encrypted usinga cryptographic key 121 accessible by the first reader device 109 a(shown in FIG. 3 cryptographic key 121A) and encoded as payload_(A).Similarly, the data intended for a second reader device 109 b may beencrypted using a cryptographic key 121 accessible by the second readerdevice 109 b (shown in FIG. 3 cryptographic key 121B) and encoded aspayload_(B). When scanned by a reader device 109, only a portion of thepayload_(Total) may be interpreted by the reader device 109.

Referring next to FIG. 6, shown is a flowchart that illustrates thetransformation of input data into a matrix code or othermachine-readable identifier 133. Starting with step 603, user input isaccessed. The user input may include, for example, health information,emergency contact information, or other type of information obtainedduring the ingestion process or from a user interface 131 presented bythe client application 130. In the example of FIG. 6, a string of userinput includes “Hello world” for explanatory purposes.

In step 606, a cryptographic key 121 is identified based on a readerdevice 109 for which the data is intended. For example, a user canspecify a particular portion of his or her medical history intended forhis or her general practitioner. A cryptographic key 121 for one or morereader devices 109 for the general practitioner may be identified. Instep 609, the user input is encrypted using the cryptographic key 121identified in 606. Using AES encryption and the key of“exampleencryptionkey,” a string of encrypted data includes“BBd2iHwO/gy+xnFUg6HeAA==.”

Next, in step 612, the encrypted data is encoded using alphanumeric modeor other suitable mode, such as numeric, byte, Kanji, or ECI. For thefirst two characters “BB” in the encrypted data, a binary number isgenerated using alphanumeric coding to obtain “111111010.” This maycontinue until all of the encrypted data is encoded using a suitablemode. Finally, in step 615, the image of the matrix code is generatedusing the encoded data as the payload according to the matrix codestandard.

In various embodiments, the AES-256 encryption algorithm may be employedto encrypt the underlying data. An initialization vector (IV) orstarting variable (SV) may be employed for use by a mode that randomizesthe encryption and produces distinct ciphertexts, even if the sameplaintext is encrypted multiple times. (AES CBC Pkcs7). Some modes, suchas Electronic Codebook (ECB) and Cipher Block Chaining (CBC), mayrequire that the final block be padded before encryption, so suitablepadding may be employed.

In an embodiment where AES-256 is employed, a cryptographic key 121 mayinclude 256 bits (32 bytes) with an IV of 128 bits (16 bytes). The IVmay be randomly generated on each encryption performed by the clientapplication 130 or the reader application 136 to provide a distinctencryption result (different from previous encryptions), even if thedata to be encrypted has not changed. The generated IV may be storedwith the encrypted data locally on the client device 106 or the readerdevice 109 allowing for future decryption, as discussed herein.

In some embodiments, the encrypted data is stored locally on the clientdevice 106 or the reader device 109 in association with a password,biometric data, or a PIN code. Additionally, each user, or entity forwhich data is provided (e.g., patient, relative, pet) may have his orher own cryptographic key 121 (i.e., encryption key). As a result, anydata encrypted on a specific device can only be decrypted on that devicewhen the suitable password, biometric data, or PIN code is provided.

As the AES encryption algorithm requires a cryptographic key 121 and anIV to encrypt or decrypt data, the IV may be stored in association withthe encrypted data to be successfully decrypted at a future time. Insome embodiments, the key management service 115 manages the storage andtransmission of the IV to the client devices 106 or reader devices 109along with the cryptographic key 121. The IV key may comprise 16 bytesor other suitable length. In some embodiments, IV key may be split upand stored in predefined locations along the cryptographic key 121. Forexample, a first number of bytes of the IV key may be placed at a firstlocation in the cryptographic key 121 while a second number of bytes ofthe IV key may be placed at a second location in the cryptographic key121, and so forth. The IV key may be removed from the cryptographic key121 before the cryptographic key 121 is used. This feature adds an extralevel of security in the encrypted data. For example, even if thecryptographic key 121 is intercepted, successfully guessed by bruteforce, etc., without knowing how to retrieve the IV out of the data, itwill be difficult, if not impossible, to decrypt the encrypted data.

FIGS. 7A-7N show various examples of user interfaces 131 of the clientapplication 130 used to perform an ingestion process by prompting theuser with various types of user input. As may be appreciated, prior toperforming the ingestion process, the user may be required to provide ausername, a password, biometric information, or other information toproperly authenticate the user of the client device 106. In FIG. 7A, anexemplary home screen for the client application 130 is shown where theuser may input primary information for an individual. This may notinclude medical information, but information for identificationpurposes. This may be used to identify a name of the individual (e.g.,the owner, dependent, pet, or other individual).

Subsequently, the client application 130 may prompt the user to inputbasic information, such as date of birth, emergency contact information,primary care physician contact information, or other basic information.Also the user interface 131 may permit a user to change the individualfor which information is provided. For example, the user may change theindividual from himself or herself to another individual, such as achild, dependent, pet, etc. These secondary profiles will also have datafields to place information for primary care physicians, emergencycontact information, medical history, etc.

FIG. 7B shows an embodiment of a Health Insurance Portability andAccountability Act (HIPAA) compliance and documentation user interface131. From this user interface 131, information pertaining to variousregulations, such as HIPPA, is shown followed by a suitable explanationto obtain requisite consent. In various embodiments, a link or otheruser interface component may be generated that causes anotherapplication, such as a browser application, to show information forthose needing further explanation as to the specifics of compliance.Following review, a prompt may be made for an electronic signature and adate or timestamp to verify that the user has reviewed the material andobtain requisite consent.

Turning now to FIG. 7C, a user interface 131 illustrates one embodimentof the screen dedicated to obtaining past medical information for anindividual. The user interface 131 of FIG. 7C enables a user to providemedical diagnoses that they have been given in the past by a medicalprofessional. In various embodiments, smart text, auto-population,dropdown suggestions, and/or other similar components may be included tofacilitate a correct spelling of the most common ailments and/ordiseases. The client application 130 may also obtain data relating tothe date at which this diagnosis was given. These may then be placed innumerical order based on the dates. In the event a diagnosis is notlisted, a free text option may be available. An additional text box maybe created for additional information that may be important.

FIG. 7D shows a user interface 131 in which past surgical informationcan be obtained by prompting the user to provide all previous surgicalexperiences. As noted above, in various embodiments, smart text,auto-population, dropdown suggestions, and/or other similar componentsmay be included to facilitate a correct spelling of the most commonsurgeries or medical procedures. The date and institution of thesesurgical procedures may also be obtained, if known. Surgical procedureswill then be placed in temporal order with associated data fields fordate and institution where the procedure was performed. In the eventthat a procedure is not listed, an option for free text will beavailable.

Referring next to FIG. 7E, a user interface 131 illustrating anembodiment of a screen dedicated to obtaining current and pastmedications is shown which enables the user to provide current andprevious medications. In various embodiments, smart text,auto-population, dropdown suggestions, and/or other similar componentsmay be included to facilitate a correct spelling of the most commonmedications. The date when the provided medication was started, thereason for the medication, and the dose and frequency of administrationmay be included. In the case that this is an old medication that theuser is no longer taking, a field for date when the medication wasstopped will be included with a reason why it was discontinued. In thecase that a medication is not listed, an option for free text will beavailable.

FIG. 7F shows a user interface 131 where a user can provide current andpast allergies, medications, environmental triggers, animals, and otherrelevant information. In various embodiments, smart text,auto-population, dropdown suggestions, and/or other similar componentsmay be included to facilitate a correct spelling of the most commonmedications and allergens. The type of reaction to the allergen willalso be included. These will be placed in numerical order withassociated field for type of reaction to each allergen.

In the non-limiting example of FIG. 7G, a user interface 131 is shownthat enables a user to provide information associated with her or herfamily medical history. In some embodiments, the user may be presentedwith specific common medical conditions to advise whether it isapplicable to the family medical history. Suitable data fields may beused for uncommon diseases. Further, smart text, auto-population,dropdown suggestions, and/or other similar components may be included tofacilitate a correct spelling of common ailments or diseases. The usermay also characterize which family member possessed this diagnosis withtheir age and year of “deceased,” if applicable.

FIG. 7H illustrates an embodiment of a user interface 131 dedicated toobtaining a social history from a user. For example, a user may bepresented with a form to provide information associated with anindividual's social history. In some embodiments, the form includes datafields covering tobacco history, alcohol use, foreign travel, educationlevel, etc. This may also include specific pediatric information such asfellow home inhabitants, firearms in the home, pets in the home, leadand tuberculosis exposure, etc., based on the age calculated from thedate of birth provided earlier.

Referring next to FIG. 7I, a user interface 131 illustrates oneembodiment that obtains immunizations from a user. Smart text may beemployed to assist the user in correctly spelling immunizations. Opentext fields can be provided for immunizations that are not commonlygiven as may be needed for foreign travel. In some embodiments, the datethat the immunization was provided may be a required field. Thisinformation may be placed in chronological order based on the date ofimmunization.

FIG. 7J shows an embodiment of a user interface 131 that enables a userto provide miscellaneous notes with can be retained locally only foraccess by the user or can be included in the machine-readable identifier133. For example, notes may include a reminder regarding a specifichealthcare encounter. In various embodiments, this may be limited to 100characters or other suitable amount as this is not a list of symptomsbut just a reminder for a specific visit. As with any other section, thenotes page can be left blank if there is no need to update thisinformation. In some embodiments, the data provided in the notes fieldcan be excluded from the data of the machine-readable identifier 133.

FIG. 7K shows another drawing of the client device 106 generating a userinterface 131 in the client device display 124. In the non-limitingexample of FIG. 7K, an embodiment is shown where a user is provided withinformation previously provided by the user. As may be appreciated, inembodiments where health information is obtained, information pertainingto one or more of the eleven organ systems may be ideally acquired. Theuser interface 131 may facilitate printing or transferring informationpackets to a physician or other interested person in a format predefinedby the user, an administrator, or a format specified by a healthcareprovider. This provides the ability to correlate this information in aformat that is preferred by physicians and legible for both the ownerand the physician. In other examples, the user interface 131 may receiveinformation associated with a patient's pharmacy, insurance, or otherrelated subjects. The ingestion process may include a review of bodysystems as well as health screenings.

Further, the client application 130 may organize information providedduring the ingestion process in a predefined format. In one example, theinformation can be sorted chronologically and by subject, such asallergies or medications. For embodiments in which the information ismedical data, the chronological format, common to healthcare providers,provides a way to efficiently present the data obtained using the clientapplication 130. It will provide all the health information designatedas required by the healthcare provider. Because the provided informationmay be complete and accurate, it may assist in limiting medical errorsby correct identification of medications and allergies, as well asproviding the entirety of the medical history that may prove to benecessary to the physician or provider.

The data may be formatted and/or compressed prior to encryption by theclient application 130, or the reader application 136 may format thedata when decrypted and/or decompressed. Accordingly, either the clientapplication 130 or the reader application 136 may format the data into apredefined format, such as the Clinical Document Architecture (CDA)format which includes a flexible markup standard developed by HealthLevel 7 International. The CDA format includes a predefined structure ofcertain medical records, such as discharge summaries and progress notesto exchange information between patients and medical professionals. TheCDA format permits the inclusion of text, images, and other types ofmultimedia, such as audio or video. In other examples, the format can bespecified by the health care provider via the reader application 136.

In various embodiments, the client application 130 may export a summaryof the information into a Microsoft Word®, PDF®, or other suitableformat for a user to print at the office of a healthcare provider orprior to the visit. In some embodiments, the machine-readable identifier133 may be positioned in the corner of the generated document or inanother suitable location. Using a reader device 109, the healthcareprovider can scan the machine-readable identifier 133 from the clientdevice display 124 or a document to import this information into a chartor electronic health record (EHR), depending on customs of theparticular practice. As may be appreciated, a reader device 109 for thehealthcare provider may be capable of decrypting information provided bythe machine-readable identifier 133, as the client application 130 maybe configured to encrypt the health information prior to generating themachine-readable identifier 133. As a result, a user of the clientapplication 130 can bypass the lengthy process of filling out medicalintake forms, for example, while sitting in an office. As theinformation provided by the user can be updated by the medicalprofessional, it may aid in limiting medical errors by correctidentification of medications and allergies, as well as providing theentirety of the medical history that may prove to be necessary to thephysician.

The client application 130 may include a mobile application or aweb-based application accessed via a browser application. Individualswho use the web-based application may be able to convert the summaryinformation into a Word® or PDF® format for the owner to print prior tothe visit and the information may be deleted upon completion of asession. In the corner of the printout, the associated machine-readableidentifier 133 can be shown.

Based on the discretion and capabilities of the healthcare provider,another embodiment specifies that the client application 130 generatesan email with an attachment of the information and/or themachine-readable identifier 133 to email and share electronically withthe healthcare provider, office staff, or health system. This can becompleted by the owner either from home prior to the visit or while inthe waiting room of the healthcare provider. The format of theinformation will be that which is preferred by the healthcare provider.From this point it can be printed to add to the patient's paper chart,scanned or manually input into the electronic medical record. Finally,it may be electronically linked to an EHR or proprietary electronicmedical record (EMR) system. Prior to sharing this informationelectronically, the owner may be required again to review HIPAAregulations and for an electronic signature and date/time stamp forreview of this information.

Turning now to FIG. 7L, a machine-readable identifier 133 having theuser input provided during the ingestion process may be shown. Byholding the encrypted image up to a lens or camera of a reader device109, the encrypted health information may be transferred forinterpretation by the reader device 109. In some embodiments, adependent may transfer his or her information to the client device 106of a parent, or vice versa, by capturing an image of themachine-readable identifier 133. The key management application 118facilitates the transfer of the suitable cryptographic keys 121 whenrequisite consent is obtained.

With reference to FIG. 7M, a user of the client application 130 canspecify the cryptographic key 121 and a recipient of the data, such asan owner of a reader device 109 or a different client device 106. Inother embodiments, the cryptographic key 121 can be pseudo-randomlygenerated by the client application 130 or the key managementapplication 118. If generated by the client application 130, thecryptographic key 121 is transmitted to the key management application118 which, in turn, communicates the cryptographic key 121 to a readerdevice 109 or other client device 106 as instructed by a user of theclient application 130. For example, the user of the client device 106may have the cryptographic key 121 transmitted to one or more readerdevices 109 associated with the “Atlanta Health” provider. In otherembodiments, a predefined cryptographic key 121 is used based on theselection of the provider. For example, the key management application118 may store one or more cryptographic keys 121 for the “AtlantaHealth” provider. When “Atlanta Health” is selected, the clientapplication 130 may use the one or more cryptographic keys 121 stored inassociation with the “Atlanta Health” provider to encrypt informationfor use in a machine-readable identifier 133.

In further embodiments, the cryptography key 121 may be set as a date ofbirth, social security number, or other constant that may not bewidespread or publicly available. Any healthcare providers that obtainrequired software necessary to read and transfer the informationrepresented in the encrypted QR image may then be permitted toinstantaneously extract the user input electronically and wirelessly. Insome embodiments, an additional layer of security may be employed wherethe recipient of the information may be required to enter in anotheridentifier specific to the originating user, such as a date of birth orsocial security number, before the information will be decrypted.

The process of extracting the information may be accomplished by holdingthe machine-readable identifier 133 to a camera lens of the readerdevice 109 or another client device 106 in possession by a healthcareprovider or other interested person. As can be appreciated, this can beperformed by personnel in a front office and in a minute or less. Theobtained information can then be used by the reader application 136 orother applications on the reader device 109 to add to a patient's paperchart or an electronic medical record system. Additionally, the readerapplication 136 may be configured to automatically populate fields inthird-party EMR systems.

Referring next to FIG. 7N, the client application 130 may facilitatesending encrypted messages from a client device 106 to another. In oneexample, the client application 130 permits a patient to communicatedirectly with his or her health provider. The client application 130 mayencrypt a message generated by a user of the client device 106 and sendthe encrypted message to the direct messaging service 122 over thenetwork 112. The direct messaging service 122 may then transmit theencrypted message to a recipient client device 106. In otherembodiments, messages may be passed between client devices 106 using amachine-readable identifier 133. The client application 130 may furtherfacilitate the transmission of the machine-readable identifier 133through the direct messaging service 122.

Turning now to FIG. 8, shown is pseudocode 800 that may be implementedin configuring the client application 130, the reader application 136,or other appropriate application to generate a matrix code or other typeof machine-readable identifier 133. For example, a function in Line 01of the pseudocode may be programmatically called to generate a matrixcode. Line 02 receives the user input to be included in themachine-readable identifier 133, such as user input provided in theingestion process performed by presenting the user interfaces 131 ofFIGS. 7A-7K. As the user input is stored locally on the client device106, it can be appropriately queried.

In Line 03, a cryptographic key 121 is obtained using an appropriatefunction call. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the cryptographic key 121 isobtained based on an identifier provided for a particular reader device109. For example, a user of the client application 130 can specify theintended recipient of the data. In other embodiments, the user mayspecify his or her own cryptographic key 121. In further embodiments,the cryptographic key 121 may be pseudo-randomly generated or determinedusing a date of birth, social security number, or other informationprovided by the user.

In Line 04, a mode indicator 309 is established. In the example of FIG.8, the mode indicator is set to “0010” which indicates alphanumericmode. In Line 05, the character count of the input data is determined.In Line 06, a function call is made to an appropriate function thatencrypts the user input using the cryptographic key 121, returning anencrypted string or other suitable variable type. In Line 07, aReed-Solomon error code is determined using an appropriate functioncall. In Lines 08-09, the data may be formatted. In Line 10, theformatted data is provided as a variable of a programmatic function callto generate the machine-readable identifier 133 in an image or otherappropriate format.

Turning now to FIG. 9, shown is another example of the clientapplication 130 importing data from an external source. As noted above,in some circumstances, input data provided by a user of the clientapplication 130 may be manipulated on the reader device 109 or otherdevice with access to the decrypted information. For example, a doctormay update or alter the data to include an up-to-date blood pressurereading, weight measurement, glucose level measurement, or otherinformation. The user may wish to store this updated information on hisor her client device 106 to maintain a more complete and accuratemedical history. In some embodiments, the reader application 136 cangenerate a document 900 capable of printing for insertion into aphysical medical file.

The reader application 136 may utilize its cryptographic key 121 togenerate the document 900 having the machine-readable identifier 133 a .. . 133 b. The key management application 118 can provide the clientdevice 106 with a suitable cryptographic key 121 based on the readerdevice 109, or other device, that generated the machine-readableidentifier 133. The client application 130 can facilitate the capture ofone or more images of the machine-readable identifier 133 positioned onthe document 900. Once an image of the machine-readable identifier 133is obtained on the client device 106 and decrypted, the client device106 can update locally stored information and/or automatically populatefields in a user interface 131 for review by the user.

In various embodiments, the underlying data of the machine-readableidentifier 133 generated by the reader application 136 is encryptedusing a cryptographic key 121 only available to the client device 106and the reader device 109. The client application 130 can decrypt theunderlying data and store the data locally on the client device 106. Ifthe user performs parts of ingestion process, the updated data may beprovide in automatically populated fields in the user interface 131.

Multiple security mechanisms are built into the code and implementationof the client application 130. Because of the breadth of the potentiallycritical information, in various embodiments, this information is storedlocally on the client device 106. Thus, the potential loss of thisinformation through the “cloud” is reduced or eliminated. In variousembodiments, the client application 130 may be integrated withcloud-based systems for the remote input and updating of information.

In addition to default password protection provided on smartphones orother types of client devices 106, an additional password or personalidentifier number (PIN) may be required to access features of the clientapplication 130. An incorrect password given a predefined number timesconsecutively (e.g., five times) may result in disabling use of theclient application for a predefined period of time, such as twenty-fourhours. Prior to sharing of this information electronically, anadditional identifier representing the permission of the owner to sharethis information may be required.

In various embodiments, healthcare providers permitted to withdraw theinformation from the machine-readable identifier 133 may also bepermitted to update or augment the information and provide the updatedor augmented information back to the owner in the form of anothermachine-readable identifier 133. As a result, updated information can bereconciled with the information already present on the client device106. In this fashion, the owner will not have to input new informationas it will be completed by the client application 130. This can alsoinclude reminders for future visits that will incorporate into themobile device calendar, reminders for medication refills, etc. Inanother example, the client application 130 can electronically reconcilemedications with a pharmacy.

The client application 130 can be embodied in multiple versions, whereeach version uses a different language, such as English, Spanish,French, or other language. The user input may be translated from alanguage of the user to a language of the recipient by the translatorservice 120, if needed. This may occur prior to encoding the data foruse in the machine-readable identifier 133 or upon decoding theinformation with the reader application 136. For those situations when ahigher level of communication, or medical terminology in English is notknown, this information used to assist in a medical or other type ofassessment.

In one embodiment, a machine-readable identifier 133 may be encoded in a“lock screen” of a client device 106 so that a person without access tothe phone may gain access to crucial identifying, health, or contactinformation without having to unlock the client device 106. In otherembodiments, the information provided during an ingestion process may beperiodically erased on the client device 106 or on the reader device109, for example, at the end of a session of use.

Referring next to FIG. 10, shown is a flowchart that provides oneexample of the operation of a portion of the client application 130according to various embodiments. It is understood that the flowchart ofFIG. 10 provides merely an example of the many different types offunctional arrangements that may be employed to implement the operationof the portion of the client application 130 as described herein. As analternative, the flowchart of FIG. 10 may be viewed as depicting anexample of elements of a method implemented in the client device 106according to one or more embodiments.

Starting with step 1003, the client application 130 is executed toobtain information, such as health information, from a user for one ormore individuals, such as dependent persons, pets or other animals, etc.This may be accomplished using the user interfaces 131 which arepresented subsequently in an ingestion process where a user iteratesthrough the user interfaces 131 during one or more sessions. Next, instep 1006, the client application 130 determines whether a HIPAAnotification has been acknowledged by the user. If the HIPAAnotification has not been acknowledged, the HIPAA notification may berepresented to the user and the process may revert back to 1003 orproceed to end. If the HIPAA notification has been acknowledged by theuser, the process may proceed to 1009 where the general, health, orother information provided by the user is encrypted according to one ormore predefined encryption standards and formats.

In various embodiments, the data is encrypted using one or morecryptographic keys 121. In various embodiments, the cryptographic key121 comprises information provided by the user, such as a date of birth,a last name, a first name, a social security number, a combinationthereof, or other potentially unique information. In 1012, the encryptedinformation is used to generate a machine-readable identifier 133, suchas a barcode or a matrix code. The steps taken to generate themachine-readable identifier are described with respect to FIG. 6 andFIG. 8.

Referring back to FIG. 10, in step 1015, the user may be prompted withan additional notification asking the user whether the user desires toshow the generated machine-readable identifier 133 on the client devicedisplay 124. Finally, in step 1018, the machine-readable identifier maybe encoded in a user interface 131 for rendering in the client devicedisplay 124. At this point, the user may be able to provide themachine-readable identifier 133 for scanning by a reader device 109 orthe user may print a document containing the information and having themachine-readable identifier 133 located thereon.

Referring next to FIG. 11, shown is a flowchart that provides anotherexample of the operation of a portion of the client application 130according to various embodiments. It is understood that the flowchart ofFIG. 11 provides merely an example of the many different types offunctional arrangements that may be employed to implement the operationof the portion of the client application 130 as described herein. As analternative, the flowchart of FIG. 11 may be viewed as depicting anexample of elements of a method implemented in the client device 106according to one or more embodiments.

Starting at step 1103, a client application 130 executable on a clientdevice 106 may be configured to access a first cryptographic key 121 aassociated with a first device profile 148 a. Similarly, at step 1106,the client application 130 may access a second cryptographic key 121 bassociated with a second device profile 148 b received over the network112. As may be appreciated, the first cryptographic key 121 a and thesecond cryptographic key 121 b may be sent to the client device 106 bythe key management application 118 or other similar service over thenetwork 112. The first cryptographic key 121 a and the secondcryptographic key 121 b may be provided to the client application 130 inresponse to a selection of a certain entity or organization, such as amedical office or medical professional. In one example, the firstcryptographic key 121 a is associated with a first medical provider. Thefirst medical provider may own or operate a first reader device 109 aassociated with the first device profile 148 a and having the firstcryptographic key 121 a stored thereon. Similarly, the secondcryptographic key 121 b is associated with a second medical provider,whereby the second medical provider may own or operate a second readerdevice 109 b associated with the second device profile 148 b and havingthe second cryptographic key 121 b stored thereon.

As the client application 130 facilitates the collection of input datafrom a user through an ingestion process, in step 1109, the input datacan be accessed for inclusion in a machine-readable identifier 133. Theingestion process may include a series of user interfaces 131 thatprompt the user to enter a variety of data, such as those shown in FIGS.7A-7K. In step 1112, the client application 130 may segment, partition,or otherwise format the input data into at least a first portion of dataand a second portion of data. For example, the first portion of data maybe capable of being interpreted by a device for a general practitionerwhile the second portion of data may be capable of being interpreted bya device for a chiropractor.

Next, in step 1115, the client application 130 may encrypt the firstportion of data using the first cryptographic key 121 a while, in step1118, the client application 130 may encrypt the second portion of datausing the second cryptographic key 121 b. The key management application118 operating in the computing environment 103 may oversee thetransmission and receipt of cryptographic keys 121 capable of decryptingthe data, as authorized by the user. Alternatively, in otherembodiments, a reader device 109 may be associated with a predefinedcryptographic key 121 stored in the data store 115 of the computingenvironment 103. The key management application 118 can provide theclient application 130 with a cryptographic key 121 for a particularreader device 109 so that the information is encrypted for access by thereader device 109 or other client device 106.

In step 1121, the client application 130 may generate a machine-readableidentifier 133 using the first portion of data as encrypted and thesecond portion of data as encrypted for rendering in the client devicedisplay 124. The reader device 109 can capture one or more images of themachine-readable identifier 133 to access the underlying data.

In further embodiments, a user of the client application 130 mayassociate a device profile 148, such as one pertaining to a generalpractitioner, with a high level of access, where the generalpractitioner is able to use his or her reader device 109 to access allor a substantial amount of the input data provided by the user of theclient application 130. The key management application 118 can send acryptographic key 121 to the reader device 109 for the generalpractitioner as well as to the client device 106 for the user.Similarly, the key management application 118 can send a differentcryptographic key 121 to a reader device 109 for the chiropractor orother medical provider. The client application 130 may encode dataauthorized for receipt by the general practitioner using a cryptographickey 121 corresponding to the reader device 109 of the generalpractitioner while encoding data authorized for receipt by thechiropractor using a different cryptographic key 121 for a reader device109 of the chiropractor. To this end, using a single machine-readableidentifier 133, access control to the underlying data of themachine-readable identifier 133 is provided. Thereafter, the processproceeds to terminate.

In some embodiments, a first access level 152 a associated with thefirst portion of data may be defined. For example, a user can associatea required low access level 152 with his personal information whileassociating a required high access level 152 with his medical history. Areader devices 109 associated with a high access level 152 may accessboth the medical history and the personal information while a readerdevice 109 associated with a low access level 152 may only access thepersonal information. In one example, a coach of a child may have a lowaccess level 152 granted to a client device 106 used to access emergencycontact information for a player, as authorized by the player or parent.

In other words, the access level 152 may be used to determine whichportions of the data the reader devices 109 can access. The user canalso define through the client application 130 which entities, such asmedical offices, have access to data associated with various accesslevels 152. To this end, a first access level 152 a associated with thefirst portion of data and a second access level 152 b associated withthe second portion of data may be identified where the first portion ofdata will be encrypted using the first cryptographic key 121 a based atleast in part on the first access level 152 a, and the second portion ofdata will be encrypted using the second cryptographic key 121 b based atleast in part on the second access level 152 b. As may be appreciated,the first access level 152 a may be different than the second accesslevel 152 b.

Referring next to FIG. 12, shown is a flowchart that provides anotherexample of the operation of a portion of the client application 130according to various embodiments. It is understood that the flowchart ofFIG. 12 provides merely an example of the many different types offunctional arrangements that may be employed to implement the operationof the portion of the client application 130 as described herein. As analternative, the flowchart of FIG. 12 may be viewed as depicting anexample of elements of a method implemented in the client device 106according to one or more embodiments.

Starting with 1203, the client application 130 may identify amachine-readable identifier 133 in an image captured by a camera orother imaging device in communication with the client device 106. Forexample, the machine-readable identifier 133 may be one generated by thereader device 109 to provide updated, supplemented, or other manipulateddata initially provided by a user of the client application 130 using aninitial machine-readable identifier 133 generated after completion of aningestion process. As may be appreciated, the data modified by thereader device 109 may be obtained from an original machine-readableidentifier 133 generated on the client device 106. An image of themachine-readable identifier 133 may be obtained by the client device 106to update its locally stored data. The image may be captured from thereader device display 127, as shown in FIG. 2, a display of anotherclient device 106, or from a document 900, as shown in FIG. 9.

Next, in step 1206, the machine-readable identifier 133 is decoded toidentify an amount of encrypted data. In step 1209, the clientapplication 130 may decrypt the amount of encrypted data using acryptographic key 121 associated with a device profile 148 from anoriginating device from which the machine-readable identifier 133 isobtained. In some embodiments, an amount of data read from themachine-readable identifier 133 may be public (not encrypted) thatidentifies the reader device 109 from which the machine-readableidentifier 133 was obtained where any device can decode the amount ofdata. The amount of data may comprise a device identifier 145 and/or aunique identifier that identifies a person or client device 106authorized to access the encrypted data. The client application 130 cancommunicate the device identifier 145 to the computing environment 103to obtain a cryptographic key 121 if the client device 106 is soauthorized.

In step 1212, the decrypted data obtained from the machine-readableidentifier 133 may be used to update or supplement the data storedlocally on the client device 106. In some situations, the decrypted datamay conflict with data provided by the user. For example, portions ofthe data provided by the user to the reader device 109 through a firstmachine-readable identifier 133 may have been changed. Alternatively,the data provided by the user may be augmented with readings taken by adoctor that may have been previously unknown to the user.

Accordingly, in step 1215, the client application 130 determines whethera conflict exists between the decrypted data and the data provided bythe user, for example, through the ingestion process. The data mayconflict, for example, if the data provided by the user using his or herclient device 106 is different than the data returned by the readerdevice 106 in any respect. For example, using the reader device 109, aphysician or nurse may update the data provided by the user to reflectrecent readings or measurements. Alternatively, using the reader device109, the physician or nurse may augment the data provided by the user.In either scenario, a conflict between the data is identified as bothsets of data are not identical. A DIFF function or similar function maybe employed to identify specific portions of the data where conflictsexist.

If a conflict between the data exists, the process proceeds to step 1218to reconcile or otherwise resolve the data conflict. In someembodiments, the user may be presented with information pertaining tothe conflict where the user can select whether to keep the original dataprovided by the user or to update the data with the data provided fromthe reader device 109. In other embodiments, the data provided from thereader device 109 may automatically replace data provided by a user orautomatically be added to the memory of the client device 106 to augmentthe data provided by the user during the ingestion process.

In some examples, some portions data may be associated with varyingaccess levels 152 pertaining to particular types of data. For example,if a medical provider updates medical data stored on the client device106, deference may be shown to the medical provider over the user as themedical provider may be assigned a high access level 152 by the user (orby default). In another example, if a medical provider updates personalinformation, such as a phone number or address for the user of theclient device 106, deference may be shown to the user as he or she islikely situated to better understand his or her own number or address.In other words, the medical provider may have a high access level 152for medical information and a low access level 152 for personalinformation.

Alternatively, if a data conflict does not exist, the process proceedsto step 1221 where, during future ingestion processes, the fields in theuser interfaces 131 may be automatically populated with data obtainedfrom the machine-readable identifier 133. Thereafter, the processproceeds to terminate.

With reference to FIG. 13, shown is a flowchart that an example of theoperation of a portion of the key management application 118 accordingto various embodiments. It is understood that the flowchart of FIG. 13provides merely an example of the many different types of functionalarrangements that may be employed to implement the operation of theportion of the key management application 118 as described herein. As analternative, the flowchart of FIG. 13 may be viewed as depicting anexample of elements of a method implemented in the computing environment103 according to one or more embodiments.

Starting with 1303, a selection of an entity, such as a medicalprovider, is received from a client device 106 where the selection wasmade in a client application 130. For example, the user can specify anentity for which he or she wants to share the input data provided duringthe ingestion process. In one example, the user can select “AtlantaHealth” provider in a user interface 131 generated by the clientapplication 130. “Atlanta Health” may own or operate one or more readerdevices 109 which are associated with one or more device profiles 148stored in the data store 115.

In some examples, an entity, or a device profile 148 corresponding to areader device 109 operated by the entity, may have a predefinedcryptographic key 121 stored in the data store 115. However, in step1306, a cryptographic key 121 can be generated for the device profile148, for example, to create a cryptographic key 121 unique to theuser-to-entity relationship. As may be appreciated, step 1306 may beoptional. In some examples, the cryptographic key 121 is generatedpseudo-randomly, using information provided by the user, or acombination thereof.

Next, in step 1309, the cryptographic key 121 is sent to the clientdevice 106 so that the client application 130 can encode the input datafor receipt by the reader device 109 associated with the device profile148. If the reader device 109 does not have the cryptographic key 121stored thereon, in step 1312, the cryptographic key 121 may be sent tothe reader device 109, if needed.

With reference to FIG. 14, shown is a flowchart that shows anotherexample of the operation the key management application 118 according tovarious embodiments. It is understood that the flowchart of FIG. 14provides merely an example of the many different types of functionalarrangements that may be employed to implement the operation of theportion of the key management application 118 as described herein. As analternative, the flowchart of FIG. 14 may be viewed as depicting anexample of elements of a method implemented in the computing environment103 according to one or more embodiments.

In some embodiments, the machine-readable identifier 133 may comprisenon-encrypted data or data that may be decrypted using a global orshared cryptographic key 121. The data may include a first deviceidentifier 145 a for an originating device and a second deviceidentifier 145 b for an intended recipient. For example, a clientapplication 130 can generate a machine-readable identifier 133 thatincludes a first device identifier 145 a for the client device 106 thatgenerated the machine-readable identifier 133 a and a second deviceidentifier 145 b for an intended recipient reader device 109 associatedwith a particular entity, such as a selected medical provider.

When a reader device 109 scans the machine-readable identifier 133, itmay determine whether it has access to the underlying data by analyzingthe first device identifier 145 a or the second device identifier 145 bfor the intended recipient. In other examples, the reader device 109 maycommunicate the device identifiers 145 to the key management application118 for remote authorization. To this end, in step 1403, the keymanagement application 118 may receive a first device identifier 145 afor a device that generated a machine-readable identifier 133.Similarly, in step 1406, the key management application 118 may receivea second device identifier 145 b for a device intended to access theunderlying data of the machine-readable identifier 133.

Using the first device identifier 145 a and the second device identifier145 b, the key management application 118 may determine, in step 1409,whether the device requesting a cryptographic key 121 to decrypt theunderlying data of the machine-readable identifier 133 is authorized toaccess the underlying data by the originating user (e.g., the user ofthe client application 130 or the medical provider). If the requestingdevice is authorized to access the underlying data, in step 1412, thekey management application 118 may send the cryptographic key 121 to thedevice, wherein the cryptographic key 121 is capable of decrypting thedata encoded in the machine-readable identifier 133. Thereafter, theprocess proceeds to terminate. Referring back to step 1409, if therequesting device is not authorized to access the underlying data of themachine-readable identifier 133, the process proceeds to terminate.

The applications described herein, such as the client application 130,the reader application 136, and the key management application 118,provide the ability to effectively acquire, store, and reproduce vitalinformation, such as information required at an initial visit orsubsequent visit with a healthcare provider. Specifically, the presentdisclosure describes a client application 130 for obtaining a medicalhistory in a user-friendly fashion and generating a machine-readableidentifier 133 comprising the obtained medical history as encoded andencrypted data. In various embodiments, the information provided by auser via the client application 130 may be stored locally on the clientdevice 106. The information stored on the client device 106 may beencrypted for local storage. Additionally, at return visits, any changesto the health history can be easily identified and provided to theprovider.

Today, existing health-related applications are focused towardsassisting an individual in increasing their ability to takeresponsibility for their own care, promoting healthy living, and linkingwith electronic medical records systems specific to a provider orinstitution in order to obtain tests and lab results. These applicationsinclude various degrees of daily, or at best, weekly data points thatneed to be updated in order to justify use of the client application130.

The client application 130 and the reader application 136 may beimplemented on the iOS®, Blackberry®, Linux®, Android®, Windows®, and/orother suitable operating systems. The information obtained by the clientapplication 130 only needs to be provided by a user once and onlyupdated with significant and relevant changes (e.g., medication changes,surgical procedures) which will only be necessary infrequently for themajority of patients. In addition, the client application 130 allows auser to provide vital information for dependents or those whom the usermay be responsible. As may be appreciated, the value of easily andcorrectly providing basic information is enormous.

According to various embodiments, a focused, low-maintenance, andspecific account of essential medical information is obtained that isrequired by healthcare providers and other entities to provide necessaryroutine care. This information is generated by physicians withphysicians in mind, but created for an easy navigation of the system.The work flow will be created in a way that navigation can be completedby all individuals with just a basic literacy level. In variousembodiments, the breadth of information required from a user may pivoton a predefined number of questions (e.g., seven questions or some othernumber) that may be vital for all initial visits to any healthcareprovider. In various embodiments, these questions may be specific andnot open ended.

The client application 130 generates a series of one or more userinterfaces 131 to obtain information from the user. Further, the clientapplication 130 correlates the information into an easy and legible formfor both the physician and the patient. This also allows for efficienttransfer of basic medical information between various providers, such asgeneral physicians and specialists. The client application 130facilitates a correlation of medical history or other information forrelatives or other individuals, such as parents, children, pets, etc.For example, the information provided by another may be beneficial insituations where patients are unable to provide their own history due topain, stress, confusion, loss of consciousness, etc., as well as timeswhen a parent is distracted due to an emergency situation. In theseinstances, this vital information can be effectively communicatedquickly, easily, and accurately, thereby preventing medical errors dueto lack of accurate and complete information. Further, the clientapplication 130 is configured to improve healthcare for thoseindividuals with communication disabilities, such as those who arehearing impaired or mute.

In various embodiments, a doctor's office or other healthcare providermay designate information as being required or optional during a clientintake. The client application 130 is executed to collect data pointsdesignated as being required by the healthcare providers. Thisinformation may be encrypted in accordance with HIPAA and HealthInformation Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH”)regulations, and may be made accessible to the user or to specifiedhealthcare providers using a key or a password.

According to various embodiments, the information collected may belimited to the following: past medical history, past surgical history,allergies, medications, family history, social history, andimmunizations although, in other embodiments, additional information maybe collected. The client application 130 may assist the user inproviding correct spelling for basic medical terms and medications toprevent confusion and incorrect documentation that can lead to medicalerrors.

The information collected by the client application 130 may be organizedin a summary screen shown in a user interface 131 for reference whilefilling out new patient information packages. In various embodiments,this information may be converted into a Microsoft Word® or PDF formatfor printing prior to visit with a healthcare provider. Finally, thisinformation may be encrypted and the encrypted information may beconverted into a matrix code or other machine-readable identifier 133for a paperless and wireless transfer of information directly to ahealthcare provider. In various embodiments, a scan of themachine-readable identifier 133 causes an automatic population of theunderlying information into a database of various electronic medicalrecord systems.

In addition to collecting personal information, the client application130 may be configured to obtain health information for dependents,family members, pets etc. This may assist in providing healthcareprofessionals with complete and accurate information when dependents andfamily members are unable to provide this information themselves due toage, incapacity, etc. This may help the healthcare provider accuratelyassess patients, streamline care, and prevent medical errors due toincomplete medical histories. As noted above, the client application 130may be configured to obtain information about pets, as their medicalhistory is also valuable to owners and veterinarians. By being able toeasily reference this information in the same platform as the user ofthe client application 130, the information can be used for school,college, international travel, emergencies, and other situations.

Although this disclosure provides multiple examples in context ofhealthcare data, the embodiments enclosed herein are applicable acrossmany industries. For example, the health information can includeinformation pertaining to an automobile. The mechanic can view servicerecords by scanning a machine-readable identifier 133 presented on aclient device 106, which can include a person's smartphone or acomputing device of the automobile.

With reference to FIG. 15, shown is a schematic block diagram of thecomputing environment 103 according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The computing environment 103 includes one or more computingdevices 1500. Each computing device 1500 includes at least one processorcircuit, for example, having a processor 1503 and a memory 1506, both ofwhich are coupled to a local interface 1509. To this end, each computingdevice 1500 may comprise, for example, at least one server computer orlike device. The local interface 1509 may comprise, for example, a databus with an accompanying address/control bus or other bus structure ascan be appreciated.

Stored in the memory 1506 are both data and several components that areexecutable by the processor 1503. In particular, stored in the memory1506 and executable by the processor 1503 are the key managementapplication 118, the translator service 120, the direct messagingservice 122, and other computing environment applications. Also storedin the memory 1506 may be the data store 115 and other data. Inaddition, an operating system 1512 may be stored in the memory 1506 andexecutable by the processor 1503. It is understood that there may beother applications that are stored in the memory 1506 and are executableby the processor 1503 as can be appreciated.

With reference to FIG. 16, shown is a schematic block diagram of theclient device 106 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.Each client device 106 includes at least one processor circuit, forexample, having a processor 1603 and a memory 1606, both of which arecoupled to a local interface 1609. To this end, each client device 106may comprise, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer,or other similar device. The local interface 1609 may comprise, forexample, a data bus with an accompanying address/control bus or otherbus structure as can be appreciated.

Stored in the memory 1606 are both data and several components that areexecutable by the processor 1603. In particular, stored in the memory1606 and executable by the processor 1603 are the client application 130and other applications. Also stored in the memory 1606 may be a clientdata store 1612 (also referred to herein as a local data store) andother data. In addition, a client operating system 1615 may be stored inthe memory 1606 and executable by the processor 1603. It is understoodthat there may be other applications that are stored in the memory 1606and are executable by the processor 1603 as can be appreciated.

With reference to FIG. 17, shown is a schematic block diagram of thereader device 109 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.Each reader device 109 includes at least one processor circuit, forexample, having a processor 1703 and a memory 1706, both of which arecoupled to a local interface 1709. To this end, each reader device 109may comprise, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer,or other similar device. The local interface 1709 may comprise, forexample, a data bus with an accompanying address/control bus or otherbus structure as can be appreciated.

Stored in the memory 1706 are both data and several components that areexecutable by the processor 1703. In particular, stored in the memory1706 and executable by the processor 1703 are the reader application 136and other applications. Also stored in the memory 1706 may be a readerdata store 1712 and other data. In addition, a client operating system1715 may be stored in the memory 1706 and executable by the processor1703. It is understood that there may be other applications that arestored in the memory 1706 and are executable by the processor 1703 ascan be appreciated.

Where any component discussed herein is implemented in the form ofsoftware, any one of a number of programming languages may be employedsuch as, for example, C, C++, C#, Objective C, Java®, JavaScript®, Perl,PHP, Visual Basic®, Python®, Ruby, Flash®, Swift®, or other programminglanguages.

A number of software components are stored in the memory executable bythe processors. In this respect, the term “executable” means a programfile that is in a form that can ultimately be run by the processors.Examples of executable programs may be, for example, a compiled programthat can be translated into machine code in a format that can be loadedinto a random access portion of the memory and run by a processor,source code that may be expressed in proper format such as object codethat is capable of being loaded into a random access portion of memoryand executed by a processor, source code that may be interpreted byanother executable program to generate instructions in a random accessportion of the memory to be executed by a processor, etc. An executableprogram may be stored in any portion or component of the memoryincluding, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory(ROM), hard drive, solid-state drive, USB flash drive, memory card,optical disc such as compact disc (CD) or digital versatile disc (DVD),floppy disk, magnetic tape, or other memory components.

The memory is defined herein as including both volatile and nonvolatilememory and data storage components. Volatile components are those thatdo not retain data values upon loss of power. Nonvolatile components arethose that retain data upon a loss of power. Thus, the memory maycomprise, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory(ROM), hard disk drives, solid-state drives, USB flash drives, memorycards accessed via a memory card reader, floppy disks accessed via anassociated floppy disk drive, optical discs accessed via an optical discdrive, magnetic tapes accessed via an appropriate tape drive, and/orother memory components, or a combination of any two or more of thesememory components. In addition, the RAM may comprise, for example,static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM),or magnetic random access memory (MRAM) and other such devices. The ROMmay comprise, for example, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), anerasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EEPROM), or other like memory device.

Also, the processor may represent multiple processors and/or multipleprocessor cores and the memory may represent multiple memories thatoperate in parallel processing circuits, respectively. In such a case,the local interface may be an appropriate network that facilitatescommunication between any two of the multiple processors, between anyprocessor and any of the memories, or between any two of the memories,etc. The local interface may comprise additional systems designed tocoordinate this communication, including, for example, performing loadbalancing. The processor may be of electrical or of some other availableconstruction.

Although the client application 130, the reader application 136, the keymanagement application 118, and other various systems described hereinmay be embodied in software or code executed by general purpose hardwareas discussed above, as an alternative the same may also be embodied indedicated hardware or a combination of software/general purpose hardwareand dedicated hardware. If embodied in dedicated hardware, each can beimplemented as a circuit or state machine that employs any one of or acombination of a number of technologies. These technologies may include,but are not limited to, discrete logic circuits having logic gates forimplementing various logic functions upon an application of one or moredata signals, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) havingappropriate logic gates, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), orother components, etc. Such technologies are generally well known bythose skilled in the art and, consequently, are not described in detailherein.

The flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 10-14 show the functionality and operationof an implementation of portions of the client application 130, thereader application 136, and the key management application 118. Ifembodied in software, each block may represent a module, segment, orportion of code that comprises program instructions to implement thespecified logical function(s). The program instructions may be embodiedin the form of source code that comprises human-readable statementswritten in a programming language or machine code that comprisesnumerical instructions recognizable by a suitable execution system suchas a processor in a computer system or other system. The machine codemay be converted from the source code, etc. If embodied in hardware,each block may represent a circuit or a number of interconnectedcircuits to implement the specified logical function(s).

Although the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 10-14 show a specific order ofexecution, it is understood that the order of execution may differ fromthat which is depicted. For example, the order of execution of two ormore blocks may be scrambled relative to the order shown. Also, two ormore blocks shown in succession in FIGS. 6 and 10-14 may be executedconcurrently or with partial concurrence. Further, in some embodiments,one or more of the blocks shown in FIGS. 6 and 10-14 may be skipped oromitted. In addition, any number of counters, state variables, warningsemaphores, or messages might be added to the logical flow describedherein, for purposes of enhanced utility, accounting, performancemeasurement, or providing troubleshooting aids, etc. It is understoodthat all such variations are within the scope of the present disclosure.

Also, any logic or application described herein, including the clientapplication 130, the reader application 136, and the key managementapplication 118 that comprises software or code can be embodied in anynon-transitory computer-readable medium for use by or in connection withan instruction execution system such as, for example, a processor in acomputer system or other system. In this sense, the logic may comprise,for example, statements including instructions and declarations that canbe fetched from the computer-readable medium and executed by theinstruction execution system. In the context of the present disclosure,a “computer-readable medium” can be any medium that can contain, store,or maintain the logic or application described herein for use by or inconnection with the instruction execution system.

The computer-readable medium can comprise any one of many physical mediasuch as, for example, magnetic, optical, or semiconductor media. Morespecific examples of a suitable computer-readable medium would include,but are not limited to, magnetic tapes, magnetic floppy diskettes,magnetic hard drives, memory cards, solid-state drives, USB flashdrives, or optical discs. Also, the computer-readable medium may be arandom access memory (RAM) including, for example, static random accessmemory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or magneticrandom access memory (MRAM). In addition, the computer-readable mediummay be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM),an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electricallyerasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or other type of memorydevice.

Further, any logic or application described herein, the clientapplication 130, the reader application 136, and the key managementapplication 118 may be implemented and structured in a variety of ways.For example, one or more applications described may be implemented asmodules or components of a single application. Further, one or moreapplications described herein may be executed in shared or separatecomputing devices or a combination thereof. For example, a plurality ofthe applications described herein may execute in the same computingdevice 1500 or in multiple computing devices in the same computingenvironment 103. Additionally, it is understood that terms such as“application,” “service,” “system,” “engine,” “module,” and so on may beinterchangeable and are not intended to be limiting.

Disjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, or Z,”unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with thecontext as used in general to present that an item, term, etc., may beeither X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and/or Z).Thus, such disjunctive language is not generally intended to, and shouldnot, imply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, at leastone of Y, or at least one of Z to each be present.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of thepresent disclosure are merely possible examples of implementations setforth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure.Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-describedembodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit andprinciples of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations areintended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure andprotected by the following claims.

Therefore, the following is claimed:
 1. A system, comprising: a clientdevice comprising at least one hardware processor; a client applicationexecutable in the client device comprising program instructions that,when executed, cause the client device to: generate a firstmachine-readable identifier using a first amount of data encrypted usingat least one cryptographic key for rendering in a display of the clientdevice, wherein a reader device having the at least one cryptographickey stored thereon is configured to decrypt the data; identify a secondmachine-readable identifier in at least one image captured by the clientdevice; decode the second machine-readable identifier to identify asecond amount of data encrypted by the reader device using the at leastone cryptographic key; decrypt the second amount of data using the atleast one cryptographic key; and identify whether a conflict existsbetween the first amount of data and the second amount of data.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the client application further comprisesprogram instructions that, when executed, cause the client device to, inresponse to the conflict existing between the first amount of data andthe second amount of data, perform a task to resolve the conflict. 3.The system of claim 1, wherein the conflict is identified in response tothe reader device altering the first amount of data to generate thesecond amount of data.
 4. The system of claim 2, wherein the taskcomprises: presenting information associated with the conflict in a userinterface of the client application; receiving a selection of the firstamount of data or the second amount of data in the user interface; andin response to the selection, updating a data store of the client devicewith the first amount of data as selected or the second amount of dataas selected.
 5. The system of claim 2, wherein the task comprisesupdating a data store of the client device with the second amount ofdata.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the client application furthercomprises program instructions that, when executed, cause the clientdevice to populate at least one field of a user interface in the clientapplication with at least a portion of the second amount of data.
 7. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the first amount of data encrypted using atleast one cryptographic key further comprises a first portion of userinput and a second portion of user input obtained during an ingestionprocess, the first portion of user input being encrypted using a firstcryptographic key accessible by the reader device and the second portionof user input being encrypted using a second cryptographic key notaccessible by the reader device.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein themachine-readable identifier is a quick-response (QR) code or a bar code.9. The system of claim 1, wherein the client application furthercomprises program instructions that, when executed, cause the clientdevice to receive at least one cryptographic key from a remoteapplication executing in a remote computing environment over a network.10. The system of claim 9, wherein the remote application executing inthe remote computing environment is configured to send the at least onecryptographic key to the reader device over the network.
 11. Acomputer-implemented method, comprising: generating, by a client devicecomprising at least one hardware processor, a first machine-readableidentifier using a first amount of data encrypted using at least onecryptographic key for rendering in a display of the client device,wherein a reader device having the at least one cryptographic key storedthereon is configured to decrypt the data; identifying, by the clientdevice, a second machine-readable identifier in at least one imagecaptured by the client device; decoding, by the client device, thesecond machine-readable identifier to identify a second amount of dataencrypted by the reader device using the at least one cryptographic key;decrypting, by the client device, the second amount of data using the atleast one cryptographic key; and identifying, by the client device,whether a conflict exists between the first amount of data and thesecond amount of data.
 12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11,further comprising, in response to the conflict existing between thefirst amount of data and the second amount of data, performing, by theclient device, a task to resolve the conflict.
 13. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the conflict isidentified in response to the reader device altering the first amount ofdata to generate the second amount of data.
 14. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 12, wherein the task comprises: presenting, by theclient device, information associated with the conflict in a userinterface of a client application; identifying, by the client device, aselection of the first amount of data or the second amount of data madein the user interface; and in response to the selection beingidentified, updating, by the client device, a data store of the clientdevice with the first amount of data as selected or the second amount ofdata as selected.
 15. The computer-implemented method of claim 12,wherein the task comprises updating, by the client device, a data storeof the client device with the second amount of data.
 16. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising populating,by the client device, at least one field of a user interface in a clientapplication with at least a portion of the second amount of data. 17.The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the first amount ofdata encrypted using at least one cryptographic key further comprises afirst portion of user input and a second portion of user input obtainedduring an ingestion process, the first portion of user input beingencrypted using a first cryptographic key accessible by the readerdevice and the second portion of user input being encrypted using asecond cryptographic key not accessible by the reader device.
 18. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the machine-readableidentifier is a quick-response (QR) code or a bar code.
 19. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising receiving,by the client device, at least one cryptographic key from a remoteapplication executing in a remote computing environment over a network.20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the remoteapplication executing in the remote computing environment is configuredto send the at least one cryptographic key to the reader device over thenetwork.